South African Cops Poach Bushbuck, Get Protect & Serve Award

Generally speaking, we have no qualms with our local law enforcement agencies. After all, they’re the ones who ultimately publicly humiliate moronic poachers, making this wonderful feature possible.

But just because someone wears the badge doesn’t make him above the law, and when two officers are caught committing a crime, we expect them to face the penalties just the same as anyone else.

Take these two coppers from South Africa, who were caught red-handed by a farmer while poaching a pregnant bushbuck in the wee morning hours of June 23 near Shelly Beach on the South Coast. The officers, driving a police vehicle and using a police-issued rifle, fired three shots at the doe around 3 a.m., awakening a farmer, who then followed the van driven by one of the cops; the other had been left behind and actually walked to a nearby plantation.

The two were arrested and charged with hunting a wild animal without a permit.

For having the audacity to use official police equipment to poach wild game — pregnant wild game, at that — we at Petersen’s Hunting award these two flatfoots the prestigious Protect & Serve Award.